IDIOTS GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE #3

Sign #3: IDIOTS ARGUE-EVEN WITH PROOF.“Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and then will beat you with experience.” –George Carlin.

People who are bent on making impact in life are too busy DOING and not caught up in idle TALKING. They are showing what should be done and how others may go about the business of change and improvement.

Idiots, on the other hand, are busy shouting that no one else is doing it right and arguing about why it should be done different and never raising a finger.

So idiots, because they cannot engage people who are busy working, therefore seek other idiots with whom they may engage in idiotic arguments. This is the third sign.

One problem with idiots is that they have a very small, very narrow and very shallow mind. When they grab hold of a thought or a suggestion, no matter how silly, they take it as gospel truth, never seem to be able to let go of it and are unable to entertain anything to the contrary no matter how superior. In fact, they are willing to literally die in an argument, to support their narrow mindset without listening. Only idiots do this.

But then it is higher idiots that argue about things that add value- even if they are not contributing any work or resource to it adding value.

There is another level of idiots- a special level, a lower level- that do not bother about discussions of value but instead on mundane things that have no capacity to elevate either mankind as a whole or themselves as individuals. It is this group that amazes me.

When two people sit down together and hold a conference, arguing about whether a sextape belongs to Chidinma or not, when two or three are gathered and begin an ‘elevated’ argument on what President Goodluck Jonathan’s head most closely resembles- a coconut or a watermelon, when two people waste energy arguing about whether Iyanya has six pack or seven pack or power pack…

Okay, so Iyanya has six packs, how does that generate six thousand megawatts of electricity to add to the national grid? How does that even affect the price of fish in the market? How does the shape and size of President Jonathan’s head affect the results you get out of life? How does the amount of light that Banky W’s head reflect affect his relationship with Wiz[kid?]? How is any of this worth discussing much less arguing about?

How does the argument you are engaging in bring any sort of result to your life or make the world a better place? This is a question that idiots never ask. And never answer.

As a matter of fact, when you ask them this question, they would likely start another argument with you- proving your point exactly.

As George Carlin says, arguing with idiots is inimical to growth- they will beat you at it. Apart from the fact that they usually have no verified facts and use no form of logic in their arguments, when you argue with an idiot, you are likely to end up the loser. To an average idiot, idle gossip is their language and rumour is their logic.

Someone says don’t argue. Just show them proof.

Well, if you are sure the person is not an idiot, then show them proof. But if he is an idiot, even when you show proof, they are likely to change the argument and begin a fresh one.

And, of course, when two people are arguing but only one is an idiot, Mark Twain says, no one will be able to tell the difference.